From Willpower and Steadfastness, Gazans Shape Their Faith The Souls of Gazans Remain Tied to Their Resilient Homeland

Nibal Al-Hissi, a 25-year-old young woman, appeared different from who she was before the war. Her pain-worn features still bear the marks of injuries that have yet to heal, while her eyes tell a story of displacement, fear, and loss. Standing in front of her modest home in Jabalia, her exhausted body confronts a harsh reality as she tries to conceal her suffering behind a faint, barely visible smile.

Before the war, Nibal lived a simple daily life, dreaming of safety and planning a future for her daughter. That life was abruptly overturned by shelling. Her injury came suddenly when a nearby house in the Bureij refugee camp was struck, turning an ordinary moment into a painful memory etched into her body and soul.

Despite the pain, Nibal displays remarkable resilience. She stands as upright as she can, clinging to an unbreakable will. Her strength is not only for herself, but for her daughter Rita, who may not understand the meaning of war, yet feels its weight in every glance and step.

In a deeply moving scene, little Rita stands before her mother, gazing at her hands and waiting for a reassuring touch. Nibal carefully extends her injured hand, as if fearing she may no longer be able to offer the warmth her daughter is used to. Yet she does, because motherhood is stronger than pain, and a simple touch can create a fleeting sense of safety amid devastation.

Through Nibal, a harsh human story is captured: a woman wounded but unbroken, and a mother striving to build life from the remnants of patience. In her daughter’s presence, pain transforms into strength, and fear into a brave silence—echoing the story of thousands of mothers who confront war with determination and resist cruelty with hope.